Week 8: Rockledge 68, Satellite 42

ROCKLEDGE First, Hurricane Matthew blew down the scoreboard at McLarty Stadium last week. Then, Rockedge and Satellite high schools’ football teams did Friday night.

The home team came out the victor in a 68-42 scorefest that started from the kickoff and continued through the final minutes of the game, with tour de force performances by Satellite quarterback-receiver combination Alex Nicks and Erik Askeland, and Rockledge running back Jalen Mitchell.

Mitchell’s performance was stunning: about 410 rushing yards and four touchdowns, including 60-yard, 57-yard and 40-yard scoring sprints through the Scorps.

“All credit to (the other Rockledge) players, who kept us in the game and kept me going,” the sophomore said. “I’m tired, but we got the victory. I’m grateful for that.”

Rockledge coach Wayne Younger called it an “up and down game. Our defense reallydidn’t play as well as it should have, but overall, our guys played well.”

Depleted by injuries and forced to play many of its players both ways, Satellite’s valor was obvious from the start. It marched upfield and went ahead with 8:30 left in the first quarter on a short run by Luis Morris, who also ran in the two-point conversion.

The Raiders returned the favor a minute and a half later when Antoine Green caught a 60-yarder from Cameron Latham, with the point after by David Quintal.

Adreal Johnson of Rockledge took it in from the 2 with seven minutes in the quarter — the extra point was blocked — and then Alex Nicks and Erik Askeland worked a but of oassing and receiving magic. They combined on a 54-yard pass, with the kick by Kyle Downie, to put the Scorps ahead 15-13.

After Mitchell bulled two yards into the end zone, Nicks did the same for one at the score went to 21-20. Then, with less than a minute and a half in the half, Mitchell ripped off that 40-yarder, the result of which was a halftime score was Rockledge 27, Satellite 21.

Mitchell continued where he left off in the 3rd quarter with that 57-yard`touchdown dash, after which Jesson Walker took a 28-yard pass from Latham, which with Quintal’s kick, added up to an impressive 40-21 lead`for Rockledge.

“I’m not even sure how many yards he had,” Younger said of Mitchell, who was virtualy untouchable. “You just give him the ball and he’ll go.”

But Satellite was not finished and Nicks kept the football to add six — Downie made it seven — for the 28-40 score with five minutes left in the quarter.

Less than three minutes later, it was Mitchell again, on that 60-yard scamper and less than two minutes after that, Nicks connected with Askeland and then ran it in for the two point conversion to raise the score to 36-47.

The Raiders’ LaQuentin Hastie, dependable throughout the night, scored on a four-yard run before Askeland ran 12 yards, followed by another failed two-point conversion to bring the score to 42-54.

Hastie, who had more than 100 yards in the game, did it again with five minutes, this time on a two-yard plunge and Latham capped scoring with a three-yard touchdown with two minutes in the game.

“It was a great game by both offenses and I think we really showed (how well we can play),” Nicks said. “I wish the score had been different but I am proud to be a part of this team.”